SIN OF NATIONAL CONSCIENCE - by R.N. Kulkarni, Assistant Director (Retd) IB Karnataka Pages 451. Price Rs. 398/-
It is said that one commits a sin if after having proper qualifications he joins the subordinate services in India. The services in India are still dominated by the old colonial attitude and the subordinate remains a subordinate however high he reaches or tries to reach. Perhaps this has been the cornerstone of Mr. Kulkarni's thought when he laid the foundation of his book. Mr. Kulkarni was a direct recruit in the Intelligence Bureau, did a stint in the ARC (Aviation Research Centre) and came back to IB after some medical disqualification as per ARC norms. He served in the Nagaland with distinction and also had a tenure with IOC before coming back to mother organisation. He has put in great effort in compiling this book giving history of Intelligence, the organisational structure of IB down to the lowest level and his experiences in North East, in Malayasia and in Karnataka. The most powerful part of his book is his analysis of the organistion, its work culture, its over dependence on the IPS officers and its lackadaisical attitude towards reforms. One can feel the pangs of loss and despondency of a subordinate when his ideas and suggestions are overruled just because he is subordinate. He also challenges the existence of IB as an organisation without a constitutional validity. In his language the IB can be called a neuter gender, which as per convenience adopts the role of Police force or a Civilian Organisation though the Home Ministry and the IB satraps have made submissions in the Court of law that its employees (non IPS) are governed by the CCS Rules of Govt of India. The material incorporated by Mr. Kulkarni would be of a great use for the direct recruits of IB or Central Security Forces.
However IB is not an altogether black force. It is a wonderful organisation with IPS Officers who have dealt with their subordinates in a very kind and sympathetic way. There have been Officers who encouraged dialogue and arguments from the subordinates and accepted them if they were valid. The book should be read for its history of Intelligence and the arguments put forward by the writer to bring about an element of reform in this premier Intelligence Organisation.Intelligence has to be treated as a creative subject and creativity has no regimentation but alas this has never been accepted. Intelligence may have its Day.....
Courtesy: Suresh Mandan Joint Dy. Director (Retd) IB
Business Confronts Terrorism: Risks and Response - by Dean C. Alexander, published by the University - 242 pages - $35.
This book does not contain specific security advice. Author Dean C. Alexander has written an effective high-level overview of how terrorist organizations have infiltrated modern society and turned society's apparatuses against the very people who helped develop them. Alexander coauthored that work with Yonah Alexander, and the new book can be considered a companion volume to the previous one. The book focuses on three main issues: terror threats and the role terrorists play in the economic system, business and public-private anti-terrorism efforts, and terror's impact on business. Alexander looks at several sectors of the economy, including commercial aviation, travel and entertainment, and finance, and how they continue to be affected by terrorism. The author does not offer specific security advice but rather provides a broad overview of potential responses. Despite the lack of specific advice, the book provides important information and is well written, clear, and concise.
Security Management - January 2005.
Management education in India - Prospective and Challenges: Dhami P. Sinha, Pub. - by The ICFAI University - Rs.300/-.
Insider's view on management education
It is timely that the current perspectives and challenges have been well brought out by the author in his book. The first set of papers relates to the growth of management education in India and its relevance in the context of the growth of the economy. The section on research on management education gives new insights into an old problem. The second set of papers relates to ranking B-schools in India and the parameters adopted for the same. The South Asian quality Assurance system (SAQAS) under the umbrella of the Association of the Management Development Institutions in South Asia (AMDISA) is informative. The regulatory role of the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) has been well critiqued, with the author's experience of having been the chairman of the All India Management Board of Studies. Information on the growth of financial institutions tends to be repetitive, perhaps due to the book being a collection of papers. E-learning initiative of the recent times could have also been mentioned.
